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I'm getting married in about a month (!) and I keep picturing what those final moments will be like before I become a wife. Will I experience a surge of adrenaline, happiness, trepidation, or all of the above, before the doors of the church swing open and I walk down the aisle clutching my Dad's arm? There's no way to emotionally "prepare" for such a life-altering event, despite all of the hard work, pre-wedding freak-outs and my fiancé's loving support. I won't know until I'm there in the flesh, pinching myself because it's actually happening.

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When you’re planning your wedding, you have to make one decision after another. What are my colors? Band or DJ? Chicken or fish? Worrying about what your bridesmaids are going to wear is just another series of decisions...and this time, there’s the added pressure of keeping your closest friends happy. Is this dress too expensive? Will this look good on everyone? Will these shoes be comfortable? Here are some things that you can consider delegating to your bridesmaids. We've included advantages and disadvantages for each to help you decide what works best for you.

Our trainer Bonne Marcus made some suggestions and modifications to my eating plan; I am cutting out starchy carbs, eliminating all sweets and sugar, and minimizing my alcohol intake. I'm going go try this new plan for at least the next three weeks, leading up to my engagement party, to see how it goes. The toughest part — cutting out fruit! I can eat raw nuts, though, which I’ll substitute for a little snack.

After work one day this week, I went with Rene to the new gym he joined, LA Fitness. They just opened up a new one near our apartment, and it is amazing. It's literally as big as a mall, with two sparkly clean floors and more fitness equipment I've ever seen in my whole life. The spin room had over 60 brand new bikes, which got me so excited! I’m not a big fan of my current gym, as they don’t offer classes, so I’m definitely considering switching over to this one. They offer a 5:45 a.m. spin class on weekdays, which works perfectly with my schedule.

Once I got over the initial shock of how cool it was, I spent a half hour on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the treadmill, sweated my butt off, and burned over 700 calories. I’d say that was a successful workout!

Photo Credit: Britt Chudleigh on Snippet and Ink via Lover.ly

Q: My fiancé and I are providing the alcohol for our wedding. With 75 guests, how many bottles of red and white wine and champagne should we purchase?

If you're anything like me, the mere thought of getting up in front of a room full of people and giving a speech makes you want to crawl under a table and hide. But as the matron of honor at my sister's wedding, I had to put on my big girl pants and give a toast. Luckily, I survived the experience and came out of it with some advice to share on how to execute your speech with confidence!

Photo Credit: Maria Angela Photography 

1. Don't Wait Until the Last Minute
The last thing you need to be doing the week before the wedding is fretting over your toast. I started working on mine about a year in advance; I read through Sharon Naylor's cheat sheet on writing your MOH speech at least five times and began jotting down any ideas as they came to me. Then, about a month before the big day, I sorted through my various ideas and worked them into a cohesive speech.

When my sister first showed me a picture of the bridesmaid dress she wanted us to wear for her wedding, one of my first thoughts — aside from that I loved the style — was, "Nice! I won't need a strapless bra!" But then she clued me in that the straps are actually sheer, and the back would've prevented wearing a regular bra anyway.

Jasmine B2 Style B143923

Finding a strapless bra that is comfortable, actually gives support, and will stay in place throughout the day is no easy task. After suffering through wearing uncomfortable bras at events past, I was determined to find one I'd actually like for my sister's wedding.

Sometimes, you just want a quick cup of coffee — not a whole pot. Single-serve coffee makers using pods or capsules have flooded the market in recent years; to help you find the best fit for your caffeine fix, we evaluated some of the latest releases and best sellers from the most popular brands. After testing hundreds of cups of coffee, here are our top three picks:

Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System ($199.99)

If you’ve ever complained that Keurig coffee is too weak, then you need to try the Vue, stat. The next generation promises to “brew stronger, brew bigger, brew hotter” – and it certainly delivered.

Ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? After a wonderful weekend in North Carolina (more on that below!), I was exhausted — just another day off from work would've been amazing. Here, the most important lessons I learned this week:

If you fall off the wagon, get yourself back on track as soon as possible. Rene and I had the best time exploring the city of Charlotte, going out, and seeing his great family to celebrate his father’s 80th birthday in North Carolina. It was a weekend I will not forget, but I sure hope my body does after all of the food and alcohol I consumed. Unfortunately, I did not eat too well. I had fast food (gross!), comfort food (fried chicken and macaroni and cheese), and bagels and eggs for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. I drank tequila, rum, and wine on Friday and Saturday, too. I was just a disaster all weekend. I did have fun, and I got myself back on track as soon as we returned home. For dinner Sunday night, Rene and I ate sashimi and salads for dinner, so at least I had one healthy meal that weekend! 

I definitely felt better Tuesday morning after eating well and working out on Monday — I felt like I burned off some of the many calories consumed over the weekend. 

Rachel Wolf's father/daughter dance on Saturday, July 20th was everything she hoped it would be  — the only thing missing was a groom to watch on.

Her dad, Dr. John Wolf, is losing his battle with terminal pancreatic cancer, but that didn't stop the determined 25-year-old from Auburn, California from making their wedding wish come true. Regretting that he would never get to take part in her big day — yet not wanting to pressure her current boyfriend to propose — she came up with the idea to host a special dance now that she can record and play at her future nuptials someday.

"My greatest sadness of you not being here is that you won't get to walk me down the aisle or have a special father/daughter dance," she told him through tears in a video posted online by News10/KXTV.  "So I'm inviting you to my 'wedding.'"

In an interview with The Today Show, her "ultimate hero" reveals just how much the staged event meant to him: "Each and every day, we have a choice. We have a choice to either love that person that's in front of us or not. It's the relationships that you build over the years that is the most important thing in life."

One of the prettiest sights to see at a wedding (other than the décor, flowers and beautiful bride, of course!) is the dazzling dessert table. I recently came across some gorgeous tables featuring an array of yummy treats created by Alexis Streets, a Washington D.C.-based dessert and table stylist (clients include Spike Lee and the Washington Redskins). All of her food items are not only custom-made and handcrafted, but Alexis also designs the table décor. This talented entrepreneur definitely knows how to turn a negative into a positive, too: She started her business creating gift baskets while on bed rest after a car accident, and today, after just five years, her company has evolved into a highly successful business. Love that positive spirit!

Now, back to dessert tables: If you’re thinking of having one at your wedding, Alexis recommends that you “consider your own personal taste and style, your wedding colors and the needs of your guests.” And, for upcoming fall weddings, some of Alexis’ favorite choices include chocolate-covered strawberries infused with wine, candy apples, spiced cupcakes and her custom 14k-gold candies. “Our cake pops are always a year-round favorite, too, as they can be customized to look like brides and grooms!” says Alexis. For inspiration, take a look at some of her sensational tables and eye-catching goodies, and visit Alexis Streets and discover more delicious treats:

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate strawberries, gourmet pretzels, gourmet krispy treats, pecan turtles, cake pops, and gourmet strawberry shortcakes.